Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
This is the lifeboat station on the promenade at Mablethorpe. If you look closely in the circular window to the right of the building, there’s a small, knitted caostguard figure peering out. You can see them better in this picture I took a few years ago.
These men and women
Who volunteer their efforts
To save people’s lives
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
My photography has dwindled over the past few weeks, coinciding with the new kitchen we’ve had fitted and ten the decorating that is still ongoing. I had hoped that I might be able to grab a few outings this week while I’ve been off work but, alas, there has been too much other stuff to be done unfortunately. Except for yesterday that is, when I had most of the day free.
Unfortunatley the weather wasn’t ideal – a mixture of boring grey skies punctuated by the odd rain-shower and glimpse of sunshine – plus I was tired from all the other stuff that has been taking place. Still, I didn’t want to waste the opportunity while I had it (I’m fast running out of new photos for the blog!) so I made the effort to go out. I dug the Yashica Mat from a box where it was being stored, along with my light meter, a cable release, and a tripod quick-release plate. I took four rolls of film (better to be prepared, eh?) and, as I was leaving the house, grabbed my XA3 too, which has an almost full roll of HP5+ rated at 800asa loaded.
This last item proved fortunate as, despite all my preparation (and remembering to take the Arca-swiss plate), I forgot to take the actual tripod, leaving it leaning in the corner of the kitchen where I’d placed it! If I’d loaded a roll of HP5+ or something in the Yashica this wouldn’t have been too much of a problem as I could have shot it handheld at box speed, or even pushed it, but I’d instead loaded a roll of 80asa Ortho Plus instead. Because of the dull light, unless I fancied shooting the whole roll at f/3.5, it was rendered pretty much useless without the tripod to hold the camera steady. So, instead, I took shome pictures with the XA3 – maybe ten or twelve frames, not enough to finish the roll. At least I made some photos though.
I might get the opportunity to shoot some more on Monday or Tuesday, but I’ll have to see how things go.
This decorating
Is not helping to push my
Creativity
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
This was taken as I sat with a cup of tea and a flapjack on a bench near the cafe. Sadly the flapjack was a little melted from being in the full sun and, to my dismay, a small insect decided to take it’s own life by drowning itself in my tea before I could finish drinking it. Nontheless, as I sit typing this after a full week of complete and upper upheaval while we have the whole of the the upstairs and the staircase decorated, a melted flapjack and insect-polluted tea on a sunny day beside the sea would be quite welcome.
I mustn’t grumble
Despite things I didn’t like
I ate fish and chips
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
On Mablethorpe promenade used to sit a number of unusual beach huts. Sadly I think they’ve fallen prey to vandalism and at least one has now been demolished, while the others are boarded up. This one was a functioning camera obscura.
Standing by the sea
A camera obscura
Its eye is now closed
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
The informal photo competition I take part in each month had a theme of “Tempting” last month, and I made a few photos that might fit the bill – the picture I posted here yesterday of the seaside cafe was the one I chose to enter and it got me second place.
The photo in today’s blog was another potential entry, and one I’d had high hopes for, but I was disappointed when I received the developed film as the ice cream cone was off to the left of the image. I quickly realised that this was due to me not using the parallax correction lines in the camera’s viewfinder. I’d had to hold the ice cream at the limit of my reach in order for the camera to focus correctly, and this meant the subject was close enough for parallax error to creep into the composition. The camera does have a macro mode, but that uses a partial zoom which meant the subject fell well outside the image edges when viewed.
After looking at the photo again I decided that it might work with an off-centre viewpoint, so I cropped in a little to get the picture you see here. I’m pretty happy with it now.
Offset ice cream cone
At the limit of focus
The end of my arm
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
A couple of photos of the Wig & Pen pub in Sheffield City centre. I don’t think I’ve stepped foot in here for thirty years! I remember going in occasionally on work’s nights out, but it never featured as a venue when out with my friends. It didn’t use to be red back then either, but it makes for a nice vibrant picture.
Stuck for a haiku?
Just make up some old rubbish
That will do just fine
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).
Taken on 13 June 2021
The interesting building seen in this picture used to be a synagogue and cloister’s chambers, originally built in 1872. As with so many buildings in the city, it has been re-purposed and now serves as student accommodation.
As time moves along
New uses for old buildings
Places recycled
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).
Taken on 13 June 2021
Just a simple photo of a street today – Haymarket, in Sheffield.
I think the Velvia 50 (and the F80s matrix metering) have done a pretty nice job with the scene. Early morning sunlight was casting a combination of contrasty highlights and shadows – something I normally keep well away from where slide-film is concerned – but in this case the result is very pleasing with lots of detail and lovely rich colours.
Golden Touch gaming
Fruit machine prizes at stake
Be gamble aware
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).
Taken on 13 June 2021
So says the slightly forlorn looking billboard. Assuming the exciting development is coming to this piece of land, there’s little sign of progress as yet.
Exchange Street leads up to what was once the thriving market area, with Castle Market up the street and to the right, and the Sheaf Market to the left where the modern red brick car-park can be seen in the picture. The markets have now moved to The Moor at the opposite end of the city centre – a move much lamented by some. The new markets are busy, if smaller than the old locations, while the original site of the Castle Market is supposedly being re-developed into a park.
Scent of the market
Fish and fruit and meat and veg
A memory now
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).
Taken on 13 June 2021
A picture of one of the many apartment blocks that have risen across Sheffield city centre in the last couple of decades. Th university seems to throw up ne buildings on a contant basis, but I believe this one is private accomodation. I’m not sure if the building shown here has a specific name, but it stands on Blonk Street right beside the river Don just above to point where the River Sheaf merges.
Velvia colours
From a roll of expired film
Vividly azure
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).
Taken on 13 June 2021
Steel City Snapper photography 